According to a Children’s advocacy group KidsRights Foundation report, Afghanistan is among the worst countries to be born in.
The survey has conducted across 192 countries in the 2023 KidsRights Index, an annual study measuring children’s rights based on five domains: life, health, education, protection and enabling environment.
Marc Dullaert, Founder of the organization, warned the countries and said that this year’s report is alarming, whether it is about the devastating wars in Ukraine, and Sudan, environmental disasters, the banning of girls from access to higher education in Afghanistan, or the all-time low immunization rates globally.
According to the report, the conditions for children in Afghanistan, particularly girls, are “alarming”.
According to the report, the Taliban’s restriction on girls attending school has severely impacted children’s primary and fundamental rights in the country.
The report also indicated that “under the recent Taliban rule, Afghanistan reintroduced its total ban of girls from access to higher education or secondary education in 2022.”
“Denying girls access to education raises real concerns not only around their educational prospects but also around their rights to holistic development, information, participation and general safety in all respects,” the report says.
The report added, “The ban has already led to higher rates of child marriage and child labour in Afghanistan and reversing any positive progress that was made up to now.”
According to the report, severe poverty has increased the mortality rates for children under five in several countries, and child labour has tripled in some regions. In contrast, children’s rights have been restricted.
“One in four children across the world are projected to be living below the poverty line this year,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the Founder and Chair of the Foundation, Dullaert, has called on the governments to “focus their efforts on investing in children for the betterment of our society.” Moreover, Immediate actions are required by states, humanitarian and other relevant agencies to protect children from this current catastrophe and pave the way for a more positive and hopeful future.
